Fastening device



Nov. 30, 1954 J. BALlNT FASTENING mavzca Filed Feb. 12, 1953 INVENTOR Joy/v 544/417" ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,695,806 FASTENING DEVICE John Balint, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Tinnerman Products, Ind, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of ()hio Application February 12, 1953, Serial No. 336,619 3 Claims. (Cl. 292-258) This invention relates in general to fastening means for retaining covers on cans, buckets and the like, and deals, more particularly, with improved securing devices for holding in place the removable covers or lids of paint cans and similar containers to prevent accidental or unintended opening or removal of the covers or lids of the containers during shipment and handling.

In preparing paint cans and like containers for shipment, it is usually necessary or required by government regulations that the containers be sealed against accidental opening by spots of solder or equivalent means which positively retain the covers 01 lids of the cans in closed position. Present day costs and scarcities of metal make the price of solder so expensive that the use thereof is prohibitive in many instances and the same otherwise so costly that considerable savings can be obtained in the use of relatively cheap sheet metal clip devices which are capable of securing the covers on the cans with substantially the same effectiveness as solder.

A primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a simple, inexpensive construction for sheet metal clips of this character which are adapted to be readily secured over the rim of a paint can, or the like, in applied position to retain the cover or lid thereon, and which clips are adapted for positive self-locking in such applied position to prevent accidental opening or removal of the cover from the can.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for sheet metal clips of the kind described in which the clips are formed as inexpensive onepiece fasteners having an integral locking means adapted for automatic self-locking action in predetermined applied position in the usual groove in the cover or lid of the can in a manner which prevents loosening or removal of said clips from their applied position retaining the cover in closed position on the can.

Further objects and advantages and other new and use ful features in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements of the improved clip devices of the invention will be readily apparent as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, for purposes of illustration but not of limita tion, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. l is a top perspective view from the front of a paint can, or the like, showing the removable cover retained thereon by the improved clips of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows in edge elevation the details of a clip as seated in an automatic self-locking action in applied position retaining the cover in closed position on the can;

Fig. 3 is a top perspective view of the clip per se shown employed in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clip per se; and,

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the clip per se.

Referring now, more particularly, to the drawings, 1 illustrates a paint can or similar container P of conventional commercial construction having a removable cover or lid C retained in closed position thereon by clip devices secured over the rim of the container at suitably spaced points around the circumference thereof. As shown in Fig. 2, the container P is constructed with a hollow body 1 and a top section 2 joined to said hollow body 1 in a rim or beading 3. In a widely used type of paint can or similar container of this character, the top section 2 is joined to the hollow body 1 in a pronounced rim 3 provided by forming the outer peripheral edge of said top section 2 in a doubled return bend *4 that 1s crirnped or swaged over the adjacent upper end of said hollow body 1. The pronounced rim 3, thus provided, necessarily presents a well defined bight 5 at the underside of said rim 3 in the space between said rim 3 and the adjacent outer surface of the hollow body 1 as clearly seen in Fig. 2. The top section 2, as provided in a conventional paint can, for example, extends inwardly in a generally horizontal or downwardly sloping surface leading to an annular substantially U-shaped channel 6 terminating in a circular beaded opening 7 in the upper end of said paint can P or other container.

The cover C for such a container comprises a circular disc 10 having a depressed annular groove 12 defining an annular projecting rib 13 on the underside of said cover The annular groove 12 includes an inner wall 15 spaced by a bottom wall 16 from an outer wall 17 terminating in a beaded edge 18. The rib 13 thus provided is adapted for a friction or press fit in the correspondingly formed annular U-shaped channel 6 in said top section 2 of the can P in the usual closed position of the cover C on the upper end of said can or other container.

The clip devices 20 in accordance with the invention are applied substantially as illustrated in Fig. 1 with each clip having one end positively secured to the beading 3, as shown in Fig. 2, and the other end thereof positively anchored in the annular groove 12 in the cover C with the intermediate portion of the clip extending over and bearing on the peripheral beaded edge 18 of the cover C to retain the same in closed position. The clip devices 20 are adapted for economical quantity production from standard sheet metal strip stock with little loss or Waste of material, and may be made from any suitable sheet metal material, preferably of a spring metal nature such as spring steel or cold rolled metal having springlike characteristics. As best seen in Figs. 25, inclusive, the clip 2% is formed from a suitable sheet metal blank which is bent into a substantial U-shape to define a pair of spaced spring arms 21, 26, having a spacing approximating the distance between the outer surface of the rim 3 on the can body P and the outer wall 17 of the annular groove 12 in the cover C of the can, as shown in Fig. 2. The shorter or outer arm 21 of the clip has an end portion thereof bent inwardly in a return bend defining a hook 22 having a sharp edge that is adapted to seat readily in the bight 5 between the underside of the rim 3 and the adjacent surface of the body 1 of the container. The arm 21 extends into the intermediate top or bridge portion 24 of the clip which is adapted to fit over said rim 3 and bear on the beaded edge 18 of the cover C adjacent the annular groove 12 in said cover where it merges with the longer or inner arm 26 of the clip which is receivable in said annular groove 12 in engagement with the adjacent outer wall 17 of said groove 12. The lower end of said inner arm as terminates in a return bend 27 defining an outwardly inclined locking tongue 28, and said arm 26 otherwise is of such length that said return bend 27 rests on the bottom wall 16 of the groove 12 when the intermediate portion 24 of the clip is seated on the beaded edge 18 of the can cover C.

The outwardly inclined locking tongue 28 on the arm 26 has the corner portions thereof bent outwardly such that the points of said corner portions define pronounced anchoring prongs 30 adapted to bite into and become embedded in the inner wall 15 of the groove 12 in the can cover C in the fully applied position of the clip 24). To this end, in the normal untensioned relation of the clip, the locking tongue 28 is inclined outwardly as necessary for the prongs 30 to have an initial spacing from the arm 26 greater than the spacing between the spaced walls 15, $17, of the annular groove 12 in the can cover C. Accordingly, when the arm 26 and locking tongue 23 enter into the groove 12 in the can cover C, the prongs 30 engage the inner wall 15 of said groove 12 and force said tongue 28 to flex inwardly toward said arm 26 as necessary to permit said prongs 30 to slide to the applied position of the clip as seen in Fig. 2.

in the application and use of the clips 2% of the invention, it will be understood from the foregoing that the clips are employed substantially as illustrated in Fig. l at spaced points around the periphery of the top of the paint can l or other container to retain the cover C of said can in closed position against accidental or unintended opening. As many of the clips 20 as are necessary or desirable are employed with each clip anchored by an automatic self-locking action in applied position,

as shown in Fig. 2. Each clip 20 is easily and quickly applied simply by positioning the outer arm 21 and the hook 22 carried thereby in position to pass over the rim 3 with the other arm 26 and the locking tongue 28 in position to enter the groove 12 in the can cover C. The clip is then pushed downwardly by pressure on the intermediate bridge portion 24 thereof which causes the spring arms 21 and 26 to spread apart slightly and the hook 22 to be compressed against the rim 3 as necessary for said hook 22 to slide over said rim 3 to a position in which the end of said hook 22 is free to snap over the underside of said rim 3 and seat in locked relation in the bight 5 between said rim 3 and the adjacent body 1 of the can P, as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time, the longer arm 26 moves into the groove 12 in the can cover C in engagement with the outer wall 17 of said groove 12 until the return bend 27 bears upon the bottom wall 16 of said groove 12. The spring arm 26 carries the outwardly inclined locking tongue 28 into the groove 12 along therewith in a manner whereby the edges of the corner portions of said tongue 28 engage the inner wall 15 of said groove 12 and cause said locking tongue 28 to be compressed inwardly as the points of said prongs 3t) slide along said inner wall 15 to the applied position of the clip 20, as seen in Fig. 2. The action is such that the points of said prongs 30 actually score the surface of said inner wall 15 as the clip is advanced to its applied position where said points of the prongs 30 automatically dig into and become embedded in said inner wall 15 in self-locking anchored relation therewith under the outward spring force set up in the compressed locking tongue 28. In this regard, the construction of the clip in a manner whereby the return bend 27 rests upon the bottom wall 16 of the groove 12 in the applied position of the clip is highly advantageous in that the prongs 30 are thereby rigidified in their aforesaid anchored relation with the inner wall 15 of the groove 12 in the most effective manner.

It will be appreciated, accordingly, that both ends of the clip 20 are positively locked in the applied osition thereof by this self-locking anchoring action of the prongs 30 on the inner arm 26 with the inner wall 15 of the groove 12, and the positively locked abutting relation of the hook 24 on the outer arm 21 in the bight 5 adjacent the rim 3 of the can such that there is little possibility of loosening or displacement of the clip 20 from its applied position retaining the cover C tightly closed over the can opening in the top 2 of the can.

While the clips 20 are thus positively locked in their applied position, they are easily and quickly removable when the paint can P or the like is to be opened simply by applying a suitable pointed tool such as a screw driver to the outer arm 21 and v/edging the same outwardly as necessary to disengage the hook 24 from the rim 3, whereupon the clip may be readily removed by inserting the tool under the intermediate bridge portion 24 of the clip and forcing the clip upwardly out of its applied position.

The clips of the invention preferably are constructed of relatively thin sheet metal the thickness of which is selected according to service requirements and the predetermined size of the rim 3 on the can and the cover to be retained thereon. The fasteners are most etfective when provided of spring metal suitably spring tempered and otherwise treated to give the desired toughness and hardness. A cheap and highly effective clip construction may be provided from cold rolled metal such as cold rolled steel which is untempered but of a spring metal nature and capable of providing an effective and reliable clip for use in the manner and for the purposes described.

While the invention has been described in detail with a specific example, such example is intended as an illustration only inasmuch as the invention fully contemplates various modifications which may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A clip for retaining a cover in closed position on a container, said container having a top section provided with a channel adjacent an opening for the container and ioined to the body of the container in a rim defining a bight between the lower edge of said rim and the adjacent body of the container, said cover having a groove comprising spaced inner and outer walls and defining a rib on the underside of said cover received in said channel in said top section of the container in the closed position of said cover over said opening in said top section, said clip comprising a piece of sheet metal bent into a substantial U-shape comprising a pair of spaced arms and a bridge portion between said spaced arms, one of said arms having a hook inwardly thereof and extending toward said bridge portion of the clip, said bridge portion of the clip being adapted to extend over said rim of the container and the edge of said cover with said arm hearing on said rim of the container and with the extremity of said hook received in said bight between said rim and the body of the container, the second arm of said clip extending from said bridge portion of the clip in position to be received in said groove in the cover in engagement with said outer wall of said groove, and a locking tongue carried by said second arm for engaging said inner wall of the groove to anchor said second arm in said groove in the cover.

2. A clip for retaining a cover in closed position on a container, said container having a top section provided with a channel adjacent an opening for the container and joined to the body of the container in a rim defining a bight between the lower edge of said rim and the adjacent body of the container, said cover having a groove comprising spaced inner and outer walls and defining a rib on the underside of said cover received in said channel in said top section of the container in the closed position of said cover over said opening in said top section, said clip comprising a piece of sheet metal bent into a substantial U-shape comprising a pair of spaced arms and a bridge portion between said spaced arms, one of said arms having a hook inwardly thereof and extending toward said bridge portion of the clip, said bridge portion of the clip being adapted to extend over said rim of the container and the edge of said cover with said arm bearing on said rim of the container and with the extremity of said hook received in said bight between said rim and the body of the container, the second arm of said clip extending from said bridge portion of the clip in position to be received in said groove in the cover in engagement with said outer wall of said groove, said second arm having a return bent portion providing a locking tongue projecting outwardly therefrom and provided with prong means for engaging said inner wall of said groove to anchor said second arm in said groove in the cover.

3. A clip for retaining a cover in closed position on a container, said container having a top section provided with. a channel adjacent an opening for the container and joined to the body of the container in a rim defining a bight between the lower edge of said rim and the adjacent body of the container, said cover having a groove comprising spaced inner and outer walls and defining a rib on the underside of said cover received in said channel in the top section of the container in the closed position of said cover over said opening in said top section, said clip comprising a piece of sheet metal bent into a substantial U-shape comprising a pair of spaced arms and a bridge portion between said spaced arms, one of said arms having an inward return bend providing a hook inwardly thereof and extending toward said bridge portion of the clip, said bridge portion of the clip being adapted to extend over said rim of the container and the edge of said cover with said arm bearing on said rim of the container and with the extremity of said hook received in locked relation in said bight between said rim and the body of the container, the second arm of said clip extending from said bridge portion of the clip in position to be received in said groove in the cover in engagement with said outer wall of said groove, said second arm having an outward return bend engageable with the bottom wall of said groove and providing a locking tongue inclined outwardly from said second arm, and the corners of said locking tongue being bent outwardly to provide prongs for engaging said inner wall of said groove to anchor said second arm in said groove in the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,847,245 Hothersall Mar. 1, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 157,208 Switzerland of 1932 

